Vienna, Gartenbaukino – On the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the CEU Migration and Global Governance Research Group (MiGo), in collaboration with the University of Vienna, and thanks to the CEU Student Union support, hosted a critical evening of film and discussion.
The event started with the screening of 'No Land for Anyone' (Kein Land für Niemand), the 2025 documentary by Maximilian Ahrens and Maik Lüdemann. The film offers a harrowing look at the recent historic shift in German and EU migration policy, chronicling how the Bundestag’s 2025 resolution marked a turning point from refugee protection toward a strategy of isolation and deterrence. Many experts were involved in the realization of the documentary to better analyze the dramatic shift, also from a legal, economic, sociological and political point of view. One element identified by them is how the responsibilities of economic and social stagnation are shifted onto migrants, rather than on political choices.
Following the screening, MiGo convened a panel to explore how these political shifts affect the local context. Moderated by Lena Riemer (Assistant Professor of Law at Central European University), the discussion featured key speakers Aimée Stuflesser (Amnesty International Austria) and Mastula Nakabugo (Queer Base Vienna). Together, they connected political decision-making in Brussels and Berlin with Vienna's lived realities.
The Policy Shift: Protecting Borders, Not People
Riemer opened the dialogue by reflecting on how the film portrays the dark realities faced by migrants in Germany and across Europe. She provided a somber update to the statistics mentioned in the movie, affirming that since 2014, the number of migrants who have died in the Mediterranean has exceeded 33,500.
Before the discussion started, a short video message was then displayed on the Gartenbaukino screen from Jakob, a crew member of the Sea-Watch 5. Recording from the vessel covering the sea between Libya and Italy, Jakob spoke about their crucial rescue operations and called for continued solidarity with migrants and their supporters. He highlighted how, in recent years, the situation has worsened, not so much in terms of deaths, but with regard to the increasing externalization of borders. This is demonstrated by several episodes where EU authorities requested the intervention of the so-called Libyan coast guard, even when a rescue vessel (such as the Sea-Watch 5) was already ready to assist the boat in distress.
The moderator highlighted the restrictive shift in German migration policy in light of recent political developments, before opening the discussion by questioning the true nature of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS), set for full implementation in June 2026.
Responding to the inquiry on the legal framework, Stuflesser described the reality of the reform as fundamentally different from its initial purpose, with a clear shift from "protecting people to protecting borders". She carefully highlighted several critical flaws in the new system:
Under the new Borders Procedures, asylum seekers can be held in transit zones for up to 12 weeks. Legally, they are considered "non-entries", physically present but legally not on EU soil. The new "Crisis Regulation" allows states to suspend standard rules, potentially extending detention periods up to 8 months. She also underlined how the new “Solidarity Mechanism” risks becoming a tool to strengthen the EU borders rather than sharing the responsibilities between member states. Moreover, she pointed out how the “Return Regulation” delineates the possibility of externalising to non-EU countries the expulsion procedures (e.g. Italy-Albania, UK-Rwanda). This will create severe problems of accountability, human rights respect and financial efficiency.
The Reality in Vienna: Life in Limbo
Steering the conversation from the European level to the local level, Riemer asked Nakabugo what these policies mean for people in Vienna on a daily basis.
Nakabugo shared the devastating answer: a life in "limbo." She explained how asylum seekers are often barred from working or studying for years. She highlighted the impossibility of surviving on the standard €40 per week allowance, describing the alternative – working for 80 cents an hour – as "modern slavery." The restriction of family reunification rights is taking a severe psychological toll, particularly on unaccompanied minors who are left isolated without support networks. She reflected on her own struggle, having been separated from her children for almost six years. With the Austrian Ministry of Interior reducing funds to NGOs and closing centers, Nakabugo noted that refugees are increasingly pushed into isolated areas, further hindering integration.
The Way Forward
Despite the grim outlook, the panel emphasized that resignation is not an option and called for changing the narrative. Asserting that also 'language shapes reality,' they urged attendees to challenge terms like 'illegal' in everyday conversations: 'No one is illegal because they used an unsafe pathway; they use them because there are no safe options.’
The evening concluded with a call for civil society to increase pressure on politicians to stop the externalization of asylum procedures and instead invest in humane integration policies and the revitalization of the EU’s foundational principle of solidarity.
Panel photo:
